Pokemon Worlds
by AnimeSketch
Summary: Ayren Collins ventures out into the Pokemon World to form his destiny as a Pokemon Trainer. Will he have what it takes to become a good trainer?
1. PROLOGUE

**PROLOGUE – An Unexpected Catch**

Seventeen-year-old Ayren Collins awakened and stretched as he looked out his window at the pre-dawn sky beginning to rise over the town of Pallet. He had set his clock so he wouldn't miss dawn. Rushing out of bed and into his clothes, Ayren ran to the kitchen and got the bait he was going to use, along with his grandfather's Old Rod, and left the house, closing the door behind him with a soft click.

The air was chilly and still, but Ayren walked as if it were as warm as day. Heading down to the shore, Ayren slipped the bait on the hook and stared out at the horizon. "Today will be the day I catch my first Pokémon and get my PokéDex from Professor Oak. Perfect, the timing is perfect," he noted, observing the weather conditions. Flinging the bait into the water with a plop, Ayren sat back and waited for a Pokémon to bite. Ayren loved Water Pokémon, and had made an agreement with Professor Oak to catch his own Pokémon, instead of going with the usual starter choices for Pokémon: Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur. As much as he liked these Pokémon, he wanted a Pokémon he could truly call his own. And then, to see the world as a true Pokémon trainer, and compete in the Pokémon League Championship next year, to become the next Kanto Champion. Four years ago, a great trainer from Pallet Town had done the same, with the same humble beginnings, and now he was Regional Champion for four years running. Ayren determined to face that trainer and become Regional Champion.

A sudden strong tug on the Old Rod broke Ayren's thoughts. Standing up and pulling with all his might, Ayren used as much strength as he could muster to pull in his catch. Maybe he'd caught a Dratini? Or maybe it was a Dewgong? The pull was strong enough to make him think so! Giving a final grunt, Ayren reeled in his catch to find… a Magikarp.

A Magikarp? A MAGIKARP had been the cause of that strong pull?! Ayren wasn't having it. Noticing that it was now past peak fishing time, Ayren began to pack up, discouraged. He wasn't going to catch anything now. Tossing the Magikarp back into the water, he began to head home.

Little did he know that the Magikarp had other plans…

Magikarp eyed the lone PokéBall that Ayren was going to use on his catch, and immediately concentrated on the PokéBall. A red light enveloped the fish, and in no time, it had claimed a place in the PokéBall JUST as Ayren noticed what it was doing, and the words rang throughout the sky in Pallet…

"NO!!!! NOT MY ONLY POKéBALL!!!!!"


	2. Chapter 1

_**CHAPTER 1 – Pokémon Journey, Begin!**_

" A Magikarp? How… interesting…"

Ayren was seated at home with his mother, Liz, and sister, Amanda. They were trying hard to hide it, but Ayren could tell it was taking all they had to keep from laughing. He felt a little humored at it, but for the most part was an insult. Outwitted by a Magikarp!

"So what are you going to do, Ayren?" Amanda asked, turning to her brother.

"I'm gonna have to talk to Prof. Oak and see if I can get a Squirtle after all," Ayren sighed. "And that was my only PokéBall, too. Well, I guess I better head over there." With that, Ayren got up and headed over to the Pallet Pokémon Laboratory.

Prof. Samuel Oak was sitting in his lab, doing research, when he heard the automatic sliding doors open and shut. Turning away from his work, he headed into the main area to see who had arrived. "Well now, Ayren, how are you doing today?"

"Not so good, Professor," Ayen replied. "You know how I talked to you about getting a Pokémon of my own instead of getting one from you?"

The Professor stroked his chin. "Ah, yes. You said you wanted to try to raise a Pokémon purely by yourself, right? I must admit, I was a little disappointed to hear that, but on the other hand, I applaud you for taking the initiative and putting forth the effort. So, how did it go? Did you catch a Pokémon?"

"More like, 'the Pokémon caught me', Professor. I ended up with a Magikarp."

The Professor was taken aback. "A Magikarp?! Now why did you catch a Pokémon like Magikarp, may I ask?"

"It wasn't my fault!" Ayren retorted. "I tossed it back into the water, and somehow it made its way into my PokéBall! I was hoping that I might be able to trade for a new Pokémon." 

The Professor sighed. "I'm afraid not, Ayren. I've already given away all of the starter Pokémon for this year, but maybe you should see this as an opportunity, eh?"

Ayren was confused. "What do you mean?"

"Well, think of it this way: Magikarp is virtually useless as a trainable Pokémon, but it isn't COMPLETELY useless. As Magikarp grows, I think you'll see what I mean. I think you may be surprised. Anyway, follow me." The Professor led Ayren to the back of the lab and handed Ayren a small device that reminded Ayren of a miniature booklet. "This is your PokéDex, a small dictionary that will help you obtain information about different species of Pokémon on your journey. Now, I must get back to my research, Ayren, so go out there and do your best to become a great trainer, OK? Good luck!" And with that, Ayren headed toward the exit while Prof. Oak waved goodbye.

"Thanks, Professor Oak!" Ayren replied. As he turned to exit, he muttered under his breath, "'Good luck', eh? Yeah… goodness knows I'm gonna need it…"

Ayren stopped at home to make final preparations for his journey. While packing his bags, Liz came up to his room.

"Sweetie, this is a big step for you. I just wanted to let you know that Amanda and I will miss having you around, but this room is going to remain the way it is, in case you need to come back."

"Thanks, Mom. I'm gonna make you proud of me by becoming Regional Champion!" 

"I'm glad to hear it. Here, I have something for you," she said as she handed him a piece of paper. Looking at it, Ayren realized that it was a map. "This is pretty much the layout of this region. But remember, there's a whole world to explore out there."

Ayren smiled. "I'll do my best, Mom. And I'll keep in touch." 

Heading out onto Route 1, Ayren headed north towards Viridian City. Seeing several Pokémon along the way, Ayren began to marvel at just how much lay beyond the roads of Pallet Town. However, he knew he had to reach Viridian by nightfall. Hurrying along, it wasn't too long before he saw the lights of Viridian City come into view. Stopping at the Pokémon Center, he made a spot for the night, lay down, and went to sleep.


	3. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2 – A Cute New Girl! Chaos Roaming in the Shadows**

Waking up the next morning, Ayren decided to gather some information about Magikarp on his PokéDex. The PokéDex, in a semi-mechanical voice, said the following, "MAGIKARP IS VIRTUALLY USELESS IN BATTLE, AS IT CAN ONLY SPLASH AROUND. AS A RESULT, THIS POKEMON IS CONSIDERED TO BE WEAK. HOWEVER, IT IS ACTUALLY A VERY HARDY POKEMON THAT CAN SURVIVE IN ANY BODY OF WATER NO MATTER HOW POLLUTED IT GETS."

"Well, that's interesting, I suppose," Ayren drawled. He noticed a tab on the screen that said, "MOVES" and tapped it. Three moves were shown for Magikarp: Splash, Tackle, and Flail.

"That's not much to work with," Ayren observed. "But I guess if Magikarp's going to get stronger, like Prof Oak said, I should train it." With that, he left the Pokemon Center and headed back towards Rt. 1, where he had entered Viridian City. Looking around, Ayren spotted a Rattata. He pointed the PokeDex at it, but it had been programmed not to capture data until the Pokemon had been caught. Remembering that he'd forgotten to stop at the PokeMart to pick up some PokeBalls, Ayren decided that he would train Magikarp instead until he got back to Viridian.

"Alright, then," Ayren said to the PokeBall which contained Magikarp, "I'm counting on you." With that, he flung the PokeBall towards Rattata, shouting, "PokeBall, go!" A flash of light occurred as the PokeBall opened, and Magikarp appeared.

Rattata took one look at Magikarp and began laughing!

Ayren made a face. "Are you kidding me…?" Gathering up his frustration, he called out, "Magikarp, Splash! Now!" Magikarp began to jump about, but nothing happened. Rattata only laughed harder.

Ayren recalled Magikarp to its PokeBall, disappointed. How in the world was he ever going to help Magikarp get stronger?

A voice came from behind him. "That's a pretty pathetic Pokemon you've got there." Turning to see a girl of about 16, Ayren sized her up and down before retorting, "What business is it of yours?" 

The girl laughed and winked at him. "Let me show you how a REAL Pokemon fights." Pulling a PokeBall from her belt, she threw it before Rattata. "PokeBall, go!" Another flash of light, and a Pokemon emerged from the PokeBall that Ayren had never seen before. It looked like a mix between a dog and a bat. Its tail resembled a bat's wing, and a horn emerged from the right side of its head and rose upwards. Its white fur glistened in the sunlight and its paws looked like they had some power behind them. The Pokemon raised its head as it was released, then crouched down in a stance to face Rattata. "Absol!" was the only cry it muttered as it appeared.

"Did it say, 'Lysol'?" Ayren exclaimed.

The girl rolled her eyes. "ABSOL," she emphasized, "is a powerful Pokemon that isn't really native to the Kanto region, but they recently started appearing here. I caught this one last week, and we get along pretty well already." She turned her attention back to the battle taking place. "Absol, take that Rattata out with one shot! Tackle!"

"Absol!" the Pokemon cried out, obeying the girl. It executed a perfect and powerful Tackle, causing the Rattata to faint. The girl posed as a victory. "And THAT is how you do a REAL Pokemon battle!" She turned back to Absol and held out the PokeBall towards it. "Good job, Absol! Come on back now, okay?" A flash of red light enveloped Absol, and it disappeared back into the PokeBall. Turning to Ayren, she smiled. "So that Magikarp is the only Pokemon you have? I don't think any trainer would be desperate to use one unless he really needed to."

Ayren was embarrassed. "Yeah, this Magikarp decided to call my only PokeBall 'home' when I was fishing for my first Pokemon."

The girl held out her hand. "The name's Celeste. I specialize in Dark and Psychic Pokemon."

Ayren shook her hand. "I'm Ayren. Water's my specialty."

Celeste cocked her head. "Water, huh? I think I might be able to help you. I live in Viridian City and my father is a marine biologist there." 

"Marine Biologist? But Viridian City isn't near the ocean, like Pallet Town."

"You're from Pallet Town? So you know Professor Oak?"

"Yeah, I know him."

"My father is friends with him. And to answer your question, it's true that Viridian isn't near the ocean, but there is a lake there that connects to the ocean by means of a river. Come on, I'll take you to the lab." She began to walk towards Viridian, Ayren following closely behind. "Since you're into Water types, my Dad might be able to help you get a new Pokemon."

"Really?" Ayren exclaimed. "That would be cool; I wouldn't have to depend on just Magikarp."

Arriving at Viridian, Celeste pointed to the northwest corner. "The lab is over in that corner of town. When you're ready, go ahead and meet me there, and I'll introduce you to my dad. You said Magikarp went into your last PokeBall, right?" She then pointed down the street to Ayren's right. "That way is the PokeMart. They also sell maps of Viridian City and the Viridian Forst. You'd be smart to buy some if you're heading that way."

"Well, can you tell me where I would find a Pokemon Gym? I would like to join the Pokemon League Championship and to do that I have to compete at Gyms, right?" Ayren asked.

Celeste thought for a second. "Well, there IS a Gym here in Viridian, but it's been closed for a couple years. The next closest Gym is up north, in Pewter City, but I wouldn't suggest going that way until you're stronger. Anyway, meet me at the Lab when you're ready, okay?"

Ayren nodded. "Okay, I'll be up there in a bit." Heading to the PokeMart, Ayren didn't notice a small amount of activity going on in the Gym nearby, where two young gang members were formulating their next plan.

A young man stood upon the gym floor, surveying the area, and then, turning towards the window, where a young woman stood, keeping watch, he tightened the leather gloves on his hands. "Any signs of danger, Amethyst?"

The girl smirked condescendingly. "Now, Eric… you know WE'RE the ones who create danger." She paused to fling a lock of violet hair over her shoulder. "It's about time we show this sleepy little hamlet how dangerous we can be."

Eric walked over to a barrel which he had carried and tapped it. "Indeed, but think of it, Amethyst… when we pour this substance into the water supply of Viridian, anyone who drinks the water will be brainwashed to join us in our cause."

Amethyst walked over to Eric. "Together, we will witness the birth of the Chaotics, and by means of force, we'll be able to take over the world!"

Eric walked to the window, an evil gleam in his sapphire blue eyes. "Heads up, Viridian City… chaos will reign over your minds tonight!" With that, he let out a fearsome laugh. 


	4. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3 – Don't Drink the Water! Magikarp Saves the Day?**

"Ayren, you're late! What took you so long?"

"Sorry," Ayren began, scratching the back of his head. "The shopkeeper here in Viridian sure has a sense of humor!" In the back of his mind, Ayren scoffed. The shopkeeper had wasted an entire comedy routine on him, and even so, Ayren had found the humor to be dry. Snapping back to reality, Ayren noticed that Celeste had crossed to the other side of the lab, standing outside an office and waving him over. Rushing over as she held the door, Ayren noted the name on the door, Prof. Maple, before going inside.

"He's here, Mom," Celeste announced to an older woman who was on the phone. Ayren looked the woman over. She had her dark hair tied back into a bun. Her Wire-rimmed glasses sat neatly on her nose, in front of her gentle violet eyes. As she hung up the phone, stood up, and walked over to him, Ayren saw that she wore an overcoat that looked like it might have been a size larger than necessary as it draped over her casual outfit underneath. Reaching out her hand, she smiled. "So you're Ayren? My name is Prof Maple. I'm the head biologist here at the Marine Center. Celeste was saying that you were looking for a Water Pokémon."

"Yes," Ayren admitted. "The Pokémon I have isn't very efficient in battle."

"What kind of Water Pokémon were you looking for?"

Ayren thought for a moment. "One that's good in a battle, but also has a bit of a 'cool' factor to it."

"I see," Prof. Maple pondered. Quickly, she pulled Celeste aside. "Honey," she whispered. "He seemed simple-minded, yet he's handsome. Don't you think he'd make a good boyfriend?"

"Mom!" Celeste retorted. "Don't you think that's a LITTLE off-topic?" 

"I suppose," Maple replied. Turning back to Ayren, her face lit up as if she had an idea, and she quickly exclaimed, "I know a Pokémon that you might like, but first; would you like to take a tour? I'm sure Celeste would be happy to oblige!"

"Mother!!!" 

Ten minutes later, Celeste and Ayren were walking down a hall on their tour. Celeste had objected to her mother's suggestion, but Prof. Maple wasn't hearing any of it. The two had been thrown out from the office, giving Celeste no choice but to show Ayren around.

"I'm sorry," Celeste began. "Mom's a bit eccentric when it comes to my taking a Pokémon journey. She really wants me to grow as a Pokémon trainer."

"Why haven't you gone on one?" Ayren asked. "It seems that you would want to."

Celeste sighed. "I do." She stopped at a window that peered into the underwater life of the aquarium. "I just don't want to go by myself. Absol is the only Pokémon I have, and the Pokémon beyond Pewter City are much stronger. I can't take them on by myself, the way I am now."

Ayren looked down for a moment. Suddenly, he came up with an idea. "Hey, I know! Why don't you come with me?"

Celeste laughed to herself before facing Ayren. "I don't mean to offend you, Ayren, but if I'm going to go on a journey with someone, I need to be able to trust their abilities, and that we're gonna be able to work together as a team."

Ayren nodded. "I understand. Magikarp doesn't have much to offer in terms of battle, and I'll lack enough experience to raise the Pokémon you mother is giving me, right now."

"However," Celeste continued. "I'm going to be escorting you to Pewter City, at least. I know a little bit as a Pokémon trainer and I'm gonna see to it that you get off on the right foot from there. But like I said, the Pokémon beyond there are stronger than mine, so that's as far as I'll go." Changing the topic, she remarked, "This is actually the end of the tour. Your Pokémon actually isn't going to be ready until tomorrow, anyway. Mom's gonna take a couple finishing tests on it to make sure it's ready. We have some spare rooms upstairs. I'll get one ready for you, if you want."

"Okay," Ayren replied. "I don't really have any other plans for today." With that, he and Celeste began walking back towards the lab.

That night, as the lights of Viridian City began to dim and the streets emptied, Eric and Amethyst began to put their plan into motion. 

"Come on, Eric! We need to get this done tonight so that tomorrow morning, we can begin signing people up!" Amethyst hissed as she held open the Gym door.

Eric emerged, carrying the barrel on his shoulder. "This isn't exactly a FEATHER I'm carrying, Amethyst! It DOES have a little weight to it, you know!"

Closing the door and surveying the scene to make sure the coast was clear, Amethyst motioned for Eric to follow her. Along the edge of the woods they moved, until they reached the main street, which fortunately, was empty. Dodging behind buildings, the two made their way to the rear of the Marine Center. Amethyst slipped into some bushes and motioned for Eric to follow. When he obeyed, she looked over the area and whispered, "Okay, this Marine Center has a pump that filters water back to the water supply of the city. If we find that pump, we can pour the substance into the part that filters into the city's supply. Let's go."

Stepping out from the bushes, Amethyst crept up to the aquarium and peered inside. All of the Water Pokémon slept peacefully. Motioning to Eric, she began to head towards the pump. Eric followed, but didn't notice a small root in the ground near the aquarium. Sure enough, the root caught his foot and he fell to the ground. The barrel of substance went flying and landed with a big SPLASH into the aquarium water!

Amethyst ran over. "You idiot! Now we have to go in there and get the barrel in order to finish this!"

At that moment, the lights in the aquarium came on, and the door to the Marine Center opened. Prof Maple stood there, looking around. "Who's out there? Show yourselves!"

Quickly, Amethyst grabbed Eric and dodged into the bushes. She glared at Eric before looking back towards Prof. Maple. Another moment of looking around resulted in the scientist coming up with no answer. She shrugged and headed back inside. The aquarium lights remained on, however.

"Let's get out of here," Amethyst snorted. "They're going to keep those lights on until morning, and it'll be worse if the police show up. We'll just have to grab that barrel tomorrow night and finish the plan." With that, she and Eric trudged off. "Hopefully, that substance doesn't leak into the water."

"Ayren! Wake up! We've got trouble!"

Ayren popped up in bed. Removing the sheets and stumbling over to the door, he opened it to find Celeste with a worried look on her face. "What's going on?"

"It's the Pokémon in the aquarium! Something's wrong with them! They were fine last night, but today, they're battling like crazy!" 

"What?!" Ayren cried, grabbing his backpack and following Celeste down to the lab. Looking around, Ayren saw that the lab was in ruins from the rampaging Pokémon. "How could they do this?!"

"We've got them all in the aquarium, but now they're injuring each other. We have to do something!"

Running into Prof Maple's office, they found her frantically on the phone, trying to call the police. It was evident that something had happened during the night. "Professor, what's going on?"

"I suspected something was wrong when I heard that splash last night. I tested the water this morning, and found that some sort of strange substance had been leaked into the aquarium that's making the Pokémon act like this. But where the leak is coming from, I don't know."

"I think we've figured it out, Prof. Maple," came a woman's voice from the door. Ayren turned to see a woman with blue hair standing in the door, wearing a crisp, neatly placed police uniform. "My name is Officer Jenny. We were able to determine that a barrel had some sort of substance in it that leaked into the water. Unfortunately, since your pump sends water to the city's water supply, we had to place the whole city on a water ban. No one can drink the water, and all Water Pokémon should be returned to their PokéBalls at once, until we can remove the barrel and clear out the substance." 

"Not so fast!" came another voice from the door. Turning, Ayren saw two people this time, a woman with purple hair that unfurled in waves, and a man with a blonde crew cut. Both of them looked somewhat menacing in their tight outfits, the woman wearing a black one-piece uniform that sported gray shoulder bangles on either side; the man wearing a sleeveless shirt and some blue pants. Both stood, blocking the doorway, PokéBalls in hand, as if ready to battle. The amethyst-haired woman smiled. "My name is Amethyst, and this is my associate Eric. We'll be taking that barrel. It's part of a very important shipment and must be delivered promptly."

Officer Jenny glared icily at the newcomers. "So you two are the ones who dumped that barrel in there?"

Amethyst shook a finger at Officer Jenny. "Now, now. You make it sound like we did it on purpose. It was just a simple miscalculation, though even if in the aquarium, it would ultimately achieve the effect we're hoping for."

Ayren stood ready. "What are you talking about?" he asked suspiciously. 

"That serum has the power to manipulate peoples' thoughts toward joining our organization, the Chaotics. Our goal is to take over control of the world by force, and we'll do it by any means necessary!" Eric exclaimed.

"And since you've found out our little plan, I'm afraid we can't let you go. The road ends here for all of you!" Amethyst exclaimed, throwing her PokéBall. "Go, Pokémon!" Out popped a Pokémon that looked somewhat like a small dinosaur, with a helmet-like appendage on the top of its head. Standing on sturdy yet stubbly legs, the Pokémon emerged from its PokéBall, letting out its cry, "BAGON!"

"Let's do it!" Eric followed suit, throwing his PokéBall. A Pokémon appeared that Ayren recognized as a Machop. The Pokémon, though small, looked like it packed a lot of punch as it posed, flexing the muscle on its arm.

"Ayren, here!" Prof. Maple cried, tossing a PokéBall at him. He caught it, somewhat perplexed. "It's the Pokémon I was going to give you today, remember? Use it well!"

Ayren nodded and turned towards his opponents. Throwing the PokeBall, he cried out, "Pokémon, go!" A Pokémon appeared, its appearance much like that of a crocodile. Its blue scales, which ran all over its body, gleamed in the light as it let out its cry. "Oh, wow!" Ayren cried. "A Totodile?! Awesome!"

"Don't think you're doing this alone, Ayren. This is my home and I'm gonna defend it, too!" Celeste cried, throwing her PokéBall. "Come out, Absol!" Absol appeared, ready for battle.

"Bagon!" Amethyst shouted. "Tackle them all hard!"

"Machop!" Eric repeated. "Do the same thing, now!" Both Pokémon rushed at their opponents at great momentum.

"Totodile! Water Gun!"

"Absol! Counterattack!" Totodile and Absol both unleashed their attacks simultaneously, blasting Bagon and Machop back into Amethyst and Eric, knocking them out of the office. Ayren, Celeste, Prof. Maple, and Officer Jenny took the opportunity to run outside, follwed by their Pokémon.

_We've got to get to that barrel first! But how are we gonna do that? The water's too polluted to… wait a minute! _Ayren thought as he ran, remembering what the PokéDex had said about Magikarp being able to survive any degree of pollution in the water. Turning to the others, he declared, "I know how we can get that barrel out!" Running to the edge of the aquarium, Ayren grabbed Magikarp's PokéBall and threw it in. "Come on, Magikarp! Get that barrel! I know you can do it!" Magikarp dove under the water, heading for the barrel.

"Stop right there!" Amethyst cried out. She and Eric had gotten up and ran after the group. We're in the middle of a Pokémon battle, don't you dare run!" She looked at Bagon. "Go, Bagon! Tackle them good this time!" Bagon rushed at Totodile with blinding speed. Totodile tried to dodge, but was too late. Bagon sent the Pokémon flying, and it landed in a crumpled heap.

"Totodile! Oh, I knew we should have let it rest after those tests!" Prof. Maple cried. She picked up the injured Pokémon and handed him to Ayren. "Here, you should take it to the Pokemon Center after this." Ayren nodded and called Totodile back into its PokéBall. 

Celeste stood alone, facing the Chaotics. "Well Absol, we're not gonna take that laying down, are we? Counterattack with a Body Slam!" Absol obeyed, slamming into Bagon with all its might. Bagon fainted, having used up all its strength.

Amethyst shrieked. "Bagon, return!" Glaring at Celeste, she screamed, "You little brat! How dare you do that to my Pokémon!" Turning to Eric with fire in her eyes, she huffed, "Teach that girl a lesson! MAKE HER EVER REGRET CROSSING OUR PATH!"

Eric shrunk back. "Hoo boy," he said, glancing at Celeste. "You made her mad. She's unbearable when she's like this."

"MACHOP!" Amethyst hollered. "Teach her good, you hear me?! Take her Pokémon out with a Karate Chop, and make it a good one!" Forcefully, Machop ran at Absol, its fist glowing in the air with an intense fury. Jumping into the air, it let out a scream as it descended toward its target below.

"Absol! Look out!" Celeste cried. Absol, looking up, was blinded by the sun and could not see Machop's incoming strike. It prepared to jump out of the way, trying to avoid the attack. Suddenly, Machop let out a small cry of pain as it flew off to the left of Absol. In Machop's place fell a barrel that looked suspiciously familiar.

"Our barrel!" Eric shouted. Looking into the aquarium, he saw Magikarp looking over at Machop. Magikarp had retrieved the barrel and threw it at the Pokémon as it was attacking, knocking it off-target. Machop stood up, angrily facing Magikarp. Letting out another scream, it rushed at the Pokémon, charging up another Karate Chop. Jumping towards Magikarp, it prepared to land its strike. At the last second however, Magikarp splashed water into Machop's eyes, blinding it. Using that opportunity, it then dove back under the water and re-emerged, slamming into the Pokémon. Its energy worn out, Machop fell to the ground, fainting.

"GRR.." Eric growled, recalling Machop back into its PokeBall. Turning to Amethyst, he snarled. "Let's get out of here. We lost, and our plan is foiled." Amethyst nodded in agreement, and the two criminals ran off down the street. "We'll be back to fight you two again; count on it!"

"Wait a minute!" Officer Jenny screamed, giving chase. "Both of you are under arrest for attempted mind control and polluting the environment!" With that, she disappeared after them, leaving Ayren, Celeste, and Prof. Maple behind.

"In Pewter City, you'll be able to find a Gym where you can fight a Pokémon Gym Leader," Prof. Maple instructed Ayren. "Defeat him, and he'll enroll you in the Pokémon League Championships, and give you a badge as proof of your enrollment. He'll also tell you how to become fully qualified from there." 

"Thanks, Prof. Maple," Ayren replied. "And I'll make sure that Celeste gets back home safely."

"Oh, is that so? I was hoping that you two would bond a little more while heading to Pewter City!"

"Mom!" 

So Ayren and Celeste began to head towards Pewter City, where Ayren would take his first Gym Challenge to enroll in the Pokemon League.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 – The Pewter City Gym Challenge and a New Friend**

Ayren looked out at the city stretched before him. He and Celeste had just exited Viridian Forest after making their way through for a week. Finding several new types of Pokemon, Ayren had given the information in his PokeDex a significant boost. It had indeed been a learning experience. As Ayren looked out at Pewter City, he couldn't help but feel a little bit of relief at the thought of finally arriving. 

"So this is Pewter City?" Celeste asked. "It definitely seems more welcoming than Viridian." Turning to Ayren, she continued, "So, where are we going first?"

"After that forest, I need to take a break. So, maybe we should head to the Pokemon Center. Then I've got a Gym Challenge with my name on it. We can get directions to the Gym and take on the Gym Leader."

At the Pokemon Center, Ayren headed to a small area that had vending machines to eat something while he waited for his Pokemon to heal. Grabbing a candy bar and a drink, he headed back over to Celeste, who was sitting patiently in the waiting area.

"It seems that with your Water-Type Pokemon, you should be able to defeat the first Gym Leader, Brock, with no problem. Although, Brock's been known to have strong Pokemon. Are you sure you're ready?" Celeste observed.

"I suppose. Totodile and Magikarp have gotten stronger since I got them. And I have a type advantage, right?"

"Yeah, Brock commands Rock-Type Pokemon, so you shouldn't have a problem." A loud commotion behind her caused Celeste to turn and see what was going on. A young man about 17 years old rushed up to the counter and banged on the desk a couple times. "Nurse? NURSE!" The young man had a medium build, and his spiky green hair made him seem slightly taller than he actually was. A concerned look covered his face as he continued calling for the nurse. Slightly irritated by the commotion, Celeste and Ayren got up to leave, but Ayren noticed an injured Pikachu in the trainer's arms. Hoping that the Pokemon would be okay, Ayren walked through the doors of the Pokemon Center and headed toward the Pewter City Gym.

Arriving at the Pewter City Gym, Ayren pushed open the doors to find a giant rock-structured arena spread out before him. Other than the spotlight on the arena, he could see nothing as he walked to the center. "Where are you, Gym Leader?" he called out. "I'm Ayren Collins, and I'm here to register for the Pokemon League!"

A cool, hard voice cut through the darkness. "Is that another challenger? It seems like I'm pretty busy today. It's been one kid after another. That one with the Pikachu left not too long ago. Didn't you learn a lesson from him?"

Ayren continued looking around. "As a Gym Leader, you're supposed to accept all challenges, right? So come on out, unless you're afraid to defeat me, Brock!"

"Brock?" the voice queried. Then a slight chuckle filled the air. "Kid, I don't know who you've been talking to, but Brock is away traveling." The owner of the voice snapped his fingers, and the lights came on, and an older man walked up to the arena. "The name's Flint, and I'm Brock's father. I'm in charge of this Gym while he's gone. But you're right. As Gym Leader, I accept your challenge. Is two-on-two good enough for you?"

"Fine by me!" Ayren replied as he took his place and faced Flint. 

"Let's go, then!" Grabbing a PokeBall from his waist, Flint hurled it into the arena. "Pokemon, go!" A bright flash filled the room and out came a dinosaur-like Pokemon with spikes protruding out from around its head. Pulling out his PokeDex, Ayren checked to see what it was. 

"Cranidos, The Head Butt Pokemon," the PokeDex responded. "Living in the jungles of several million years ago, scientists have recently learned how to resurrect it from a fossilized state. It can down its prey in one hit with its powerful headbutts."

"Sounds like a tough customer," Ayren observed. "I think I'll try this Pokemon." Grabbing a PokeBall, he tossed it into the arena, and Magikarp appeared. "What the--?" Ayren stammered. "UGH! I pulled out the wrong PokeBall! I didn't mean to send Magikarp out yet!"

"Cranidos!" Flint yelled. "That thing's a weakling! Go ahead and take it out in one hit with your Headbutt!" Cranidos let out a cry and obeyed, hitting home as Magikarp went flying. However, it sustained some strength.

Ayren tried to make a quick recover. "Magikarp, return!"

Flint laughed. "Not so fast!" Turning to Cranidos, he shouted. "You know what to do!" Cranidos nodded and, in a quick movement, he slammed into Magikarp just before Ayren called it back into the PokeBall.

"HEY!" Ayren shouted. "What kind of a move was that?! That was low!" 

Flint crossed his arms. "It's perfectly acceptable in the Pokemon League rules. That's Cranidos' Pursuit, which allows him to attempt to take out any Pokemon before it gets recalled. Honestly, I'm disappointed. I hope your other Pokemon is better than that Magikarp."

"We'll show you firsthand how good we are!" Pulling out the other PokeBall, Ayren flung it into the arena. "Go on, Totodile, use your strongest level of Water Gun!" Totodile popped out of the PokeBall, Water Gun ready. It fired a powerful blast at Cranidos, who was blasted out of the arena.

"Cranidos, return!" Flint called, recalling his Pokemon. He looked over at Ayren with slight impression. "Not bad, kid, I'll give ya that. But your Totodile is nothing compared to the strength of my next Pokemon!" Pulling out another PokeBall and flinging it, Flint shouted, "Do it, Rhydon!"

A large Pokemon standing slightly above Ayren's height popped out of the PokeBall, letting lose a roar that shook the walls. Its metallic horn glistened in the light, and it stood on its hind legs, looking down at Totodile.

"Be careful, Ayren!" Celeste called. "That thing looks like it's more than a toy! You might have some trouble with this one!" 

Turning over his shoulder, Ayren yelled, "I'll be fine! Thanks!" Turning back to the battle, he called to Totodile, "Water Gun it, now!" Totodile nodded and fired. It hit Rhydon, leaving it weak, however, Flint had other plans in mind.

"Rock Tomb, Rhydon! Bury that thing, now!" Rhydon roared loud in reply, causing the entire arena to shake. The rock formations surrounding Totodile began to shudder and collapse. Ayren cried out in alarm. 

"TOTODILE! LOOK OUT!"

It was too late. The stones came crashing down on the Pokemon, leaving a cloud of dust to spread throughout the air. Then, after the noise subsided, the entire arena became still. Flint smiled.

"It seems I've won. I'll leave you to dig your Pokemon out and care for it at the Pokemon Center. Try again, kid." He went to turn away, but something caught his eye. Looking back out at the arena, he noticed the air around the pile of rocks move slightly. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a giant burst of water erupted from the pile and launched into Rhydon. The creature howled as it fainted from exhaustion. Gasping, Flint stumbled over to Rhydon. "No way! Rhydon, are you alright?" The creature groaned in assurance, and Flint smiled as he called the Pokemon back into its PokeBall. Looking over to where Totodile stood, weakened, in the middle of the cleared out pile, he nodded to it. "Not bad, Totodile. That was unprecedented." Looking over to Ayren, he smiled again. "It seems your Totodile is stronger than I took it to be. So for your victory, I'd like for you to have this." Digging into his pocket and pulling something out, Flint held his hand out to Ayren and opened it. "You're officially a part of the Pokemon League, now, kid. Here's your Boulder badge."

"Thanks, Flint. That was a good battle, and I'll continue training," Ayren replied. Withdrawing Totodile and turning to Celeste, he smiled. "I got my first badge, Celeste! How cool is that?"

"Congratulations, Ayren!" Celeste cheered. "I knew you could do it! Hey, that was a tough battle. How about we head over to the Pokemon Center to heal your Pokemon?"

"Good idea. Let's go." Shaking Flint's hand, Ayren continued, "Thank you, Flint. I really enjoyed our battle."

"Keep challenging yourself and your Pokemon, Ayren, they've got excellent potential. Your next Gym battle waits in Cerulean City, so good luck!"

"I'll do my best!" With that, Ayren and Celeste left the Gym and returned to the Pokemon Center.

Returning to the Center, Ayren handed his Pokemon to be cared for, but noticed the young trainer from earlier, still sitting in the waiting area. Walking over to the young man, Ayren sat down next to him. "Hey. You were in here earlier, right? Is your Pikachu okay?"

"The nurse said that Pikachu's critical," the trainer sighed. "I got a little careless in the fight against Flint and Pikachu got hurt badly. I didn't think it was going to be this bad."

"I see," Ayren paused for a moment, but an idea came to mind. "If you want, I can help you come up with a strategy to help with Flint." 

"I suppose that would work," the young man answered. "My name's Danny. You are?"

"I'm Ayren. I actually just got back from the Gym, so I think I know how I can help you out." The young man nodded in reply. Excitedly, the two got to work on a strategy.

A few days later, when their Pokemon were fully restored, Danny, Ayren, and Celeste headed back to the Pokemon Gym with their new strategy on hand. Ayren had lent Totodile to Danny to help with the battle. Opening the Gym doors, Danny announced, "Flint! I would like to challenge you again! Show yourself!"

Flint looked over to where Danny stood. "Well, if it isn't the kid I beat a couple days ago. How's your Pikachu? I would guess it's doing better since you're back here. So let's get this over with. You know the rules, right? Well, let's stir 'em up a little. How would you like a double battle this time around? Same two-on-two rule applies."

Danny looked over to Ayren with a glint in his eye. They had gotten lucky on that one. Focusing his attention back on Flint, he nodded. "I'm okay with that."

Flint looked at Ayren. "You're here, too? Helping the kid out, I suppose?"

Ayren shrugged. "It's not against any League rules. Any Pokemon within the challenger's possession are acceptable, correct?"

"You've got a point," Flint observed. "Very well, then. Are you ready, Danny?"

Danny nodded. "You bet!" Flinging two PokeBalls into the arena, he cried out, "Let's go, you guys!" Pikachu and Totodile appeared and took their positions, preparing for the battle.

"Interesting combination," Flint said. Following suit, he cried out, "Cranidos! Rhydon! Let's do this!" The two Rock-types appeared, ready to go. "Cranidos, Rhydon! We've got to work together to shut them down! Rock Throw and Rock Tomb, now!" Both Pokemon poised for the attack, launching forth a rocky offensive.

"Don't give up, you guys! Pikachu, use Quick attack to avoid the boulders! Totodile, use Water Gun to deflect them!" Both Pokemon obeyed, performing flawlessly. The onslaught died down, leaving the tow Pokemon barely scratched. "Okay, you guys!" Danny continued. "Pikachu, use a Thunder Wave on Cranidos to paralyze it!" Pikachu closed its eyes and random sparks began to flow from its cheeks, forming a wave that closed in on Cranidos and connected, paralyzing it. Totodile followed up with another Water Gun, which took out Cranidos in one hit. The Pokemon wailed as it again fainted. Flint recalled it with a small smile.

"Do you think you can do the same to Rhydon? I'm afraid not. You're going to have a much tougher time. Rhydon, let's go into fury mode! Fury Attack, now!" The Rhydon roared in anger as it went berserk, flinging itself at Pikachu and Totodile. Both Pokemon dodged frantically to avoid being pummeled.

"Aw, this is insane!" Daniel shouted. "How do you know Rhydon's not gonna get hurt?!"

"I guarantee that both of your Pokemon will be hurt long before Rhydon wears out, kid." Flint continued slyly. "He's got a high stamina, and to boot, I spent the last couple days bulking him up since Ayren defeated me. You're not taking Rhydon out so easily." 

"Then it's time for our strategy, Danny!" Ayren called. "It's perfect for something like this! Remember what I told you!"

Danny nodded and shifted focus back to the battlefield. "Pikachu! That Rhydon's horn is made out of metal! Give that horn a Thunderbolt attack, and make it a good one!"

"Uh oh," was all that came out of Flint's mouth as the electric rat obeyed. Rhydon roared in aggravating pain, but it wasn't enough to do critical damage. "That's all you've got, kid?! That's nothing! Rhydon! Continue your Fury! Increase your anger! TAKE THOSE POKEMON OUT!" Rhydon let loose a bloodcurdling roar that again, shook the entire Gym and because flinging itself more violently at its targets.

"Fine then!" Danny shouted. "We're ending this NOW! Pikachu, Thunderbolt the horn again! Totodile, join in with your Water Gun, FULL POWER!"

Both Pokemon let loose with their strongest level of each power. Rhydon roared even louder in pain and collapsed as the water slamming into it conducted the electricity that Pikachu let off, resulting in the colossal Pokemon crashing into the ground, unconscious.

Flint was agape. His Pokemon had been defeated yet again. He handed the Boulder Badge to Danny in pure astonishment. "I'm amazed, kid. Not only did your Pikachu beat my Rhydon, it did so with some help with a Pokemon that isn't even yours. You're going to excel as a Pokemon Trainer, and so this badge is yours. Like I told Ayren here, your next Gym is in Cerulean City, so you should head there." 

Ayren walked up to Danny. "You're welcome to come with us. We're going the same way."

Danny nodded. "Sure. It looks like we might be traveling together for a bit, so let's do it."

Ayren and Danny shook hands and then pumped their fists into the air. "Cerulean City," they exclaimed together, "here we come!"


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 – Chaos Repeats! The Mysterious Trainer, the Legendary Pokemon!**

Soon after their battle at Pewter Gym, Ayren, Danny, and Celeste were heading down Route 3 towards Cerulean City. Ayren had Totodile out of its PokeBall, and it walked happily next to him.

"Totodile seems to be warming up to you, Ayren," Celeste remarked. "It was a little temperamental at the Lab, but it seems to be doing fine since you got it from Mom."

Ayren blinked. "You think so?" he queried as he glanced at the blue crocodile. Indeed, it had a satisfied look on its face as it toddled along. Totodile grunted happily in agreement.

Danny laughed. "It looks like he appreciates it." Looking back over to Celeste, he asked, "You've got a map, right? What's the fastest way to get to Cerulean City from here?"

Celeste opened her backpack and pulled out the town map she had grabbed when leaving the Lab. Opening it up and examining it quickly, she finally replied, "Here. There's a mountain ahead called Mount Moon. It's got a tunnel network that goes straight to Cerulean City." 

Turning to Ayren, Danny grinned. "So it's a new town…"

"…and a new Gym Challenge!" Ayren grinned back triumphantly. Both were still psyched from their Gym Challenge in Pewter City. As the three took the path towards Mount Moon, Ayren couldn't help but imagine how the challenge in Cerulean City would go. Who was the Gym Leader? What kind of Pokemon would they use? He could only but speculate. Before he could do so further, an authoritative voice cut through his thoughts.

"Sorry kids, I'm afraid you can't go any further." Ayren looked up to see a female officer officer standing at a roadblock across the path. "The tunnel network through Mount Moon has collapsed."

"What?" Danny exclaimed. "We need to get to Cerulean!"

"Sorry kids. Unless you have a Flying Pokemon, you're not getting to Cerulean City."

"Are you serious?" replied Celeste. "Are you sure there's nothing that can be done?"

The officer thought for a moment. "I suppose you could try a path I know over the mountain. It's barely-traveled. I only go up there once in a while for a little mental vacation, but I know it leads to Cerulean City. I traveled it once on an errand." She gave them the directions and sent them on their way.

Ayren turned to the officer as they were walking away. "Thanks again, Officer…. Uh…"

The woman laughed as she straightened her cap and saluted them with a wink. "It's Jenny. Just be careful!"

Ayren waved, recalled Totodile into its PokeBall, and ran to catch up to his friends.

After an hour of walking, the three found the path and began to follow it. The y could tell right away that it wasn't heavily traveled. Though slightly worn, foliage was beginning to grow in the dirt again, as if Jenny hadn't traveled it in a while. At one point, they encountered a fork. Celeste, frustrated, opened the map Jenny gave her.

"It says on this map that even though the right fork is more direct than the left, we shouldn't take it. She didn't say why, however," she observed.

Ayren was also a bit frustrated. "Well, why the heck not?! We need to get to Cerulean right away, and this is the most direct route." 

"Look, Einstein," Celeste shot back. "I just TOLD you we couldn't go that way. The reason why shouldn't be so important! Let's just trust what Jenny said and take the left fork."

"Are you kidding me?!" Ayren exclaimed. "Not happening. You two can go that way if you want, but I'm taking this route. I'll see you in Cerulean." With that, he ran down the right fork before Celeste could stop him.

After waiting a moment, Danny turned to Celeste. "We should go after him and make sure he's going to be okay."

Celeste rolled her eyes. "He's stubborn. Fine, whatever." She shrugged as she picked up her bag and followed the right fork, Danny right behind her. It wasn't long before they caught up to Ayren, who had stopped on the path. "Hey!" Celeste grunted. "Who do you think you are, being so reckle—," her sentence cut off as she followed Ayren's gaze to see a beautiful shrine in the middle of a glen, just beyond a turn in the path. A stone obelisk stood in the middle of the clearing, with a crescent moon on top of it. At its base was a pool of water which served as a fountain. "Wow," Celeste breathed. "It's so beautiful." Stepping forward to the pool, she looked into the water.

Ayren looked at the shrine building. It was small and simple, but had intricate carvings all over it. He walked over to the porcelain door and tried to open it. Nothing. The door was locked tight. Looking back to his friends, he replied, "We should continue onward. There's not much to see here, and we need to get to Cerulean City right away."

"Yeah," Danny replied. "I want to get there too. Let's go." With that, the three began to walk towards the exit of the clearing.

"Hold it!" a stern monotone voice came from nowhere. "You've set foot on this shrine without permission, and I demand retribution!" 

"Who's there?!" Danny called, looking around. He could see no one, but could tell the voice came from within the glen.

A young man appeared, his white hair coming down to his amethyst eyes, which stared coldly at the trio. Hiding the lower half of his face was a black mask. The rest of his body was donned in black clothing. Looking at him gave Ayren chills.

"What do you want?" Ayren replied.

"A Pokemon battle," the young man retorted simply.

"You've got it!" Ayren shouted, pulling out Totodile's PokeBall. The young man's eyes simply flashed, and in the air before him appeared a cute pink Pokemon curled up into a ball. It uncurled itself and yawned, opening its steel blue eyes. Looking curiously at Ayren, it flew over in front of him and tiled its head. "Mew?"

"NO WAY!" Danny shouted. "A MEW?!"

"A what?!" Ayren asked, pulling out his PokeDex and reading the entry. 

"Mew," the PokeDex explained. "The New Species Pokemon. Because it can use all types of moves, scientist believe Mew to be the ancestor of ALL Pokemon."

"All Pokemon?" Celeste gasped.

"That's right," the trainer explained. "Mew is the one that supposedly all Pokemon originated from. Now, let's get this started. Mew, use your Mega Punch attack."

"Mew!" The Pokemon responded emphatically. It flew at Totodile at high speed, bringing out a fist aimed right for the water Pokemon. Totdile jumped, trying to dodge it, but caught the back end of the punch and went tumbling. Regaining its posture, the Pokemon sprung at Mew. 

"Totodile! Let's show him a real move! Use your Water Gun attack!" Totdile opened its mouth and let loose with a furious attack.

"Mew, Psychic." The trainer retorted simply.

Mew's eyes began to glow as it used the attack, causing the water to turn back upon Totodile, who had no time to react. The blast knocked Totodile back, rendering it unable to battle.

"That was weak. Your Pokemon isn't strong but I'm surprised by your determination." Recalling Mew to his shoulder, the trainer stuck out his hand. "The name is Zin."

"Ayren, Celeste, and Danny," Ayren replied, recalling Totodile and introducing the others. "We were just trying to get through to Cerulean City."

"Jenny sent you?" Zin was confused.

"Yeah, she told us not to go this way but I got stubborn. Sorry about that." 

Zin looked around for a moment before replying. "Nothing's harmed. It's okay. However, you should be on your way. I'm not fond of visitors."

"That's too bad, young man. We're VERY fond of that Pokemon you have there," a voice from the edge of the glen replied.

Zin turned. "More visitors?" he glared as a pair of trainers walked into the glen. Ayren followed Zin's gaze and recognized the newcomers right away.

"The Chaotics again!"

Amethyst looked on in confusion. "You know us? Oh… wait a second." She paused to shake her head in clarification. "I remember you now. You're that pest who spoiled our plans in Viridian City. For shame, little boy. Did you follow us up here?"

"Wait a second, Amethyst!" Eric retorted. "I thought WE followed THEM!" 

"SHUT UP!" Amethyst snapped as the trainers giggled.

"What do YOU want, Chaotics?"

"Aw come on, Zin," Amethyst replied. "We've been following you for at least two years and you still haven't figured out why we're doing it?"

"I've told you several times; not only is Mew not officially mine, but you've no right to capture it for your plans, either."

Amethyst glared. "You're under the impression that we're going to do something BAD to your little friend, is that right?"

"On the contrary," Eric continued. "We'll take good care of it, and in return, all we ask is for Mew's talents."

"It's no use," Zin replied. "I know your plan and I'm not getting myself or any Pokemon I care about involved."

Ayren stepped up. "I don't know what you're trying to pull, but I'm not going to stand aside while you have your way."

"Step back," Zin ordered. "I told you to leave. Get out of here." 

"No way. You need people to support you, Zin. Whether you realize it or not, you're not going to get anywhere without people. That's how we're built as humans."

"Very well, you can stay," Zin replied. "Just watch. Mew is more than enough to handle these clowns." Suddenly, Amethyst released Bagon and Eric released Machop. Both Pokemon had recovered from their previous battle and were raring to go. "Bagon!" Amethyst ordered. "Take that Mew out!" Bagon rushed at Mew, but the Pokemon stopped cold as Mew used its Psychic attack.

Eric frowned. "Machop, use Karate Chop!" Again, Machop went to move, but Mew stopped it in its tracks also. "No way!" Eric exclaimed, leering at Zin. "You're cheating!"

"You forgot, didn't you?" Zin countered. "Mew's not the only one with abilities around here." Pulling down his mask, he revealed another set of eyes on his cheeks, which stared at the Chaotics as coldly as his normal eyes did.

"His eyes," Amethyst frowned. "The ones that predict his opponent's moves. I forgot about those."

"I figured you did," Zin replied. "It's time for you to leave." Turning to Mew, he gave a simple command, "Get rid of them." 

Mew glowed and released a huge iridescent light that flew at the Chaotics. Trying to cover themselves, the villains screamed as the light exploded, blasting them off into the distance.

"Nice," Ayren remarked.

Zin turned toward the trio of heroes. "You'd best go. Like I said, I'm not fond of visitors." With that, he and Mew disappeared. 

"Well now," scoffed Celeste. "That was rude."

"Let's get out of here, anyway," Danny replied. "Not for nothing, but I don't want to find out what would happen if we DIDN'T go." Ayren nodded in agreement as they picked up their bags and left the clearing.

Meanwhile, atop the monument, Zin glared down at where the three were standing. _'I need people to support me…'_ he thought. Then he grunted. _Hmph. What does HE know? However, he continued, looking around the clearing. I can't stay here anymore now that THEY know where we are._ Looking over at Mew, he stepped forward and floated down to the ground. _We've got to hide again. _

Pulling out a PokeBall from under his cloak, he released a Clefairy that was inside. The Clefairy looked up at him, confused. "It's okay," Zin replied. "Mew and I have to take of for a while. You stay here." The Clefairy nodded in understanding, knowing this time had come. Turning to Mew, Zin simply remarked, "Let's go."

Finally, Ayren, Danny, and Celeste had made their way to the end of the trail, where they could see the lights of Cerulean City just as dusk began to descend upon the area. Smiling, they began to head towards the Pokemon Center, where they would stay the night before challenging the next Gym Leader.


	7. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6 - Cerulean Gym Battle! An Amazing Transformation!**

Ayren looked around in amazement as he, Celeste, and Danny entered Cerulean City. What a view! Houses decorated the landscape, and looking further down the road a bit, he saw the Cerulean Gym, on the edge of a small inlet. Looking to the left of the Gym, Ayren saw a small bridge which led to a cape, where a small lighthouse sat near the edge of the cliffs.

"Wow…" Celeste breathed. "This place is gorgeous!"

"It's definitely got a great view," Ayren agreed. "It's too bad it's getting late. I want to go to the Gym already!"

"Yeah, we should find the Pokemon Center and crash for the night," Danny observed as he noticed that the sun was going down. The three began walking down the path as Celeste pulled out the map to check the location of the Pokemon Center. Danny turned to Ayren.

"So Ayren," he began. "What kind of strategy are you going to use against the Gym Leader here?"

"I don't know, actually, what about you?"

Danny smirked. "Well, all I know is that I have an advantage over them, but my dad won't tell me what it is."

"Your dad?" Ayren replied. "Is he a Pokemon expert?"

"Actually, he's a Gym Leader," Danny replied.

"Your Dad's a Gym Leader?!" Ayren exclaimed. "That's awesome!" 

Danny nodded and looked away for a moment.

"Anyway," Celeste cut in. "The Pokemon Center is nearby. We should go there and rest for the night. We can challenge the Gym Leader tomorrow morning, okay?"

The boys nodded as they followed Celeste. Arriving at the Pokemon Center shortly afterwards, they entered the main waiting room. Walking up to the desk, they made arrangements with Nurse Joy to stay for the night and have their Pokemon healed.

"No problem," Joy cheerfully remarked. "We'll have your Pokemon healed in no time!" With that, she began to take the PokeBalls to be placed in the back until the next morning. As she was leaving, she turned to the three and stated, "Have you gotten the chance to see the Misty-cal Mermaid show at Cerulean Gym, yet? We have a poster hanging on the wall if you're interested."

Glancing over to the poster, Ayren looked at the poster and read. "Now for a limited time! Cerulean Gym presents a story of love, courage, and strength in the face of adversity! Come see the Misty-cal Mermaid show, starring Misty the Marvelous!"

"Mermaids?!" Celeste perked up. "Oh, wow!" Looking over at the boys, her eyes gleamed. "Look! There's a show tomorrow morning! We HAVE to go!" 

Ayren stepped back, slightly intimidated at Celeste's enthusiasm. "Yeah, but… the match…"

Celeste glared at him. "Hey, I want to do more than just being your map guide from town to town!" She furrowed her brow at him and pouted a little. "Besides, you can just find the Gym Leader afterward and challenge them. I want to see this show."

Danny put his hands up. "Whoa now…" Glancing over at Ayren, he continued, "Why not? It's not like we'd be going out of our way or anything."

Heaving a small sigh, Ayren replied, "Okay, fine. We can go see the show." 

The next morning, after receiving their Pokemon who were restored to perfect health, the trio set out to Cerulean Gym. A crowd had gathered, eager to see the show. They took their seats, looking over the water-filled stage, which had been lifted so the audience could see what was happening underwater. The lights dimmed and the show began.

As the show went on, Ayren couldn't help but feel a bit bored. However, the mermaid was introduced, and Ayren sat still. With her fiery red hair and blue eyes, Ayren felt naturally drawn to her. He couldn't stop staring as she danced around with a Horsea and a Goldeen. He couldn't help but stare at her the entire time.

The show ended before he knew it, and the lights came back up. The crowd began to file out, commenting on the show. Celeste was jumping up and down and shaking Danny. "Wasn't that exciting!?" she gleamed. "We have to come back and see it again sometime!"

"We'll do that," Ayren replied, a little too quickly. "Come on, let's go find the Gym Leader."

Heading through the aquarium, Ayren heard voices. Following them, he eventually caught up to three girls standing in the hall. One had blonde curls that cascaded halfway down her back. The second had short blue hair that had a nice even part and went to her shoulders. The third had straight red hair. He recognized them as three of the actresses who were in the show. Clearing his throat, he walked up to them. "Excuse me…"

"Can I help you?" the blue-haired girl replied.

"Hi. This is the Cerulean Gym, correct?" Ayren asked.

"That's right," the redhead answered. "I'm Lily, this is Daisy," she said, motioning to the blonde, and then, motioning to the blue-haired girl. "And this is Violet."

"Are you guys the Sensational Sisters?!" Celeste suddenly squealed. "You're kidding, right?! This is the Gym you guys are based out of?!"

Daisy smiled. "Yep, that's us!"

"Oh my goodness!" Celeste excitedly mused. "That's awesome! I am a HUGE fan! Can I get an autograph when you get a chance? Please?!" 

"No problem," Lily answered. "But, that's not the only reason you're here, is it?"

"Actually, we were hoping we could challenge the Gym Leader," Danny replied, cracking his knuckles. "We need to get in the League, and this is one of the main Gyms, right?"

Violet stood with a slightly cocky look on her face. "And what are you going to do, if it is?"

Danny pointed a finger at her. "Are you patronizing me?!" he hollered. 

Daisy put up her hands. "Whoa, okay, guy. Don't worry. You're in the right place."

Ayren raised an eyebrow. "So you guys are the Gym Leaders here?" 

"We're actually just trainers here. We used to be Leaders, but the fourth Sensational Sister has the title now." Violet turned to a nearby door that was closed and hollered, "Hey, little sis, are you done changing yet? A couple of trainers here want to speak to you!" 

The door opened and a girl stepped out into the hallway, closing the door behind her. A damp yellow towel was draped around her neck, and she wore a brighter yellow tank top and some jean shorts that cut off just above her knee. Looking down to where the others stood, she walked over and examined Danny, Ayren, and Celeste quickly before replying, "Well hey there. I'm Misty."

Ayren's eyes widened as he recognized her as being the mermaid from the show. "Y-You're the Gym Leader?!" he managed to sputter.

Misty frowned. "That's not a problem, is it? I know I'm younger than my sisters, but I can run this Gym efficiently!"

Ayren continued sputtering. "N-No! That's not what I meant! I w-was just surprised, t-that's all!"

Celeste looked teasingly at Ayren while whispering to Danny, "Someone's got a case of the love bug," she teased.

Ayren, hearing Celeste's line, turned to face her, embarrassed. "I do not!" he growled. Turning back to Misty, he clenched a fist. "I want to challenge you in a Gym Battle!" he stated plainly.

"Hey!" Danny retorted. "You can't challenge her before I get the chance to!"

"And why not?!" Ayren argued.

"KNOCK IT OFF!" Misty shouted, causing the entire area to become encased in the sound of silence. "Fine, we'll do it this way. A two-on-two match, my two Pokemon against one of yours each. You can only target one of mine, and when one faints, the opponent must recall their respective Pokemon. Fair?"

"You're on!" Danny and Ayren replied in unison.

Minutes later, the three were in the main arena, standing on floating mats on the water. Misty placed her hands on her hips and pulled out her two PokeBalls. "Alright, you guys! Let's do this! And don't think I'll go easy on you, either!" With that, she threw her PokeBalls onto the fighting mat. "Misty calls Starmie and Golduck! Come on out, you guys!" Both balls simultaneously opened, releasing twin flashes of light. Two figures appeared, and when the light died down, there stood an athletic blue duck, posing for battle, and a violet starfish, a rainbow-colored jewel decorating its center. Danny eyed the starfish coyly.

"Hah," he scoffed. "That's my target!" Pulling a PokeBall out from his pocket, he threw it onto a nearby mat. "Let's go, Pikachu!" The ball opened, and the curt electric rodent appeared, sparks flying from its cheeks.

"I guess the duck's mine, then," Ayren replied. "Come on out, Totod-" A sudden flash occurred from inside his backpack, and out popped Magikarp, into the middle of the water. Ayren's face dropped in shock and anger. "Magikarp, what are you doing?!" he yelled. "I didn't ask you to come out!"

Misty laughed. "A Magikarp? Why are you sending a Magikarp into battle?! Whatever… let the match begin!"

Danny turned to Ayren. "Great, we're gonna lose, thanks to Magikarp." 

Ayren glared back. "I didn't call it out!" Turning towards where Celeste was, he began to shout, "Hey, Celeste, can we get a little help he-" His sentence was cut off when he realized that Celeste wasn't paying any attention to the match at all, but instead, asking the Sisters for an autograph! "HEY!" he screeched. "Is that all you're concerned about, is getting some stupid autogr-" 

"Look out!" Danny shouted as he ducked, cutting Ayren off mid-sentence. Ayren turned just in time to see Magikarp fly into him with a scream. Knocked over by the sudden weight, Ayren landed on his back. "Hey, get off me, Magikarp!" he cried, pushing it back in the water. 

"Alright, we don't have time for this!" Danny turned to Pikachu who was fending off Starmie's opening attack. "Pikachu! Shut that thing down with a Thunderbolt!"

"Pika-pika!" Pikachu replied in acknowledgement. Charging itself up, Pikachu crouched and released his energy in a fantastic blast, right at Starmie. "Pikaaaaa-CHUUUUUUUU!!!!"

Starmie could do nothing as the thunder blasted it back several feet, almost to Misty's mat. Landing in the water, Starmie sank below. No one could see it in the water to tell whether or not it was out. Misty smiled, despite what happened.

_Not bad,_ she thought. _But since we can't tell if Starmie is out, we'll have to concentrate on that Magikarp._ "Alright, Golduck!" she cheered. "We're gonna have to take it from here! Attack that Magikarp with a Confusion attack!" Golduck complied perfectly, firing a psychic blast at Magikarp.

"Magikarp, look out!" Ayren cried. Magikarp turned to see the blast coming, and braced itself. The blast connected, and Magikarp continued bracing itself. "Hang in there, Magikarp!" Ayren encouraged. "I know you can do this!"

At that moment, Starmie popped up out of the water, weak but not down for the count. It began to spin as it flew towards Pikachu. Fortunately, Danny caught on to its movements quickly. "Pikachu! Heads up! Dodge that Starmie and counter with a Quick Attack!" 

Pikachu waited until Starmie was close enough and quickly jumped into the air. Landing back on the mat, Pikachu jumped again, this time right towards the center of the spinning Pokemon. The hit landed dead-on, and Starmie crashed to the water again. A moment later, it hopped up on a nearby mat to take a quick breather.

"Golduck!" Misty cried, continuing her assault on Magikarp. "Use Disable!" 

Staring intently at Magikarp, Golduck caused something within Magikarp to quit resisting the psychic blast. Magikarp strained harder, as it could not resist as effectively anymore. Ayren could see that it was beginning to wear down. He kept his cool and continued to encourage Magikarp. "Magikarp! Try to use your Flail attack!" Unfortunately, he realized too late the results of such a move. Magikarp complied with the attack, doing damage to Golduck; however, the Pokemon also managed to pile some more damage upon itself! 

Danny knew that this was his opportunity. "Okay Pikachu! That Starmie is almost done! Let's finish it off with a quick Swift attack!" Pikachu agreed, jumping into the air and curling its tail around to the front of its body. The tail began to glow as Pikachu charged and released the attack, sending a blast of stars at Starmie. The water Pokemon countered with a blast of its own Swift attack, and the two blasts collided. Both Pokemon continued to fire, but it quickly became evident that Pikachu's blast was gaining momentum as Starmie's was losing it. Pikachu's blast overcame Starmie's, and the water Pokemon went flying and finally, when it landed, slumped over.

Daisy, who had just finished signing Celeste's autographs, declared, "Starmie is unable to battle anymore! Pikachu is the winner!" Danny smiled as he recalled Pikachu and congratulated it. Turning to Ayren, he stated, "It's up to you, now. Let's keep this up, alright?"

Ayren nodded, but he knew he was in trouble. Misty smiled, as she knew she had this victory in the bag. "Alright Golduck! One more time! Finish Magikarp with another Confusion attack!" Golduck nodded and fired another blast at Magikarp. Ayren screamed for Magikarp to move out of the way, but Magikarp held its ground, glaring at the oncoming blast.

"That look in its eye…" Ayren noted. "What's it doing?!" 

Magikarp recoiled as the blast hit it, but it continued holding its ground. A moment later, its body began to glow and change form.

"What the-?!" Ayren shouted. "Is it-?"

Danny began to jump up and down excitedly, causing the mat to bob recklessly in the water, threatening to topple both himself and Ayren as his eyes grew wide. "Dude… no way! Magikarp's evolving!" 

"WHAT?!" Ayren exclaimed. "Into what?!"

The Pokemon finished its transformation, and the glow on its body died down, revealing a huge snake-like dragon looming over the arena. The water ran down it's azure-blue scales and its fins reared back in a surge of strength. The look on the Pokemon's face was enough to scare a small child, and the shriek it let out shook the entire arena.

Misty's eyes went wide. "It was that close to becoming a Gyarados?! What the heck?!"

A ball of energy formed in Gyarados' mouth as it glared down at Golduck. "No way!" Celeste cried. "That's a Hyper Beam attack! Golduck doesn't stand a chance!" But Celeste observed that her words were merely an understatement as Gyarados released the energy in its mouth. It rained down around Golduck, slamming it and the mat it was standing on underwater. A giant wave kicked up and rushed out in all directions. Everyone was thrown back by the power it created. Landing against the wall, Ayren and Danny both crumpled to the floor in a heap. Misty had managed to grab a ledge that offered her safety and continued to search the water as she looked for any sign of Golduck. Moments later, the mat surfaced. It had been shredded by the power of Gyarados' blast. And right after it, Golduck surfaced. It strugged to climb onto a nearby mat, and when it did so, finally crumpled in a heap, unconscious. Misty was in pure shock as she climbed down from the ledge walked over to Golduck, and announced, "Golduck… is no longer able to battle. Gyarados… is the winner." As she looked at it, however, Gyarados gave a slight moan and also collapsed into the water with a splash. It had fallen unconscious from using too much of its energy in the battle.

Ayren and Danny, who had stood just before the announcement, looked at each other in surprise. They had won?

The next day, Misty stood before the two boys outside her Gym, somewhat slouched. Her hair covered her eyes. "Golduck is in serious condition at the Pokemon Center, but the nurse believe he'll be okay with some time and care." Looking up towards Ayren, she continued, "How is Gyarados?"

"He'll be okay," Ayren replied. The nurse had kept him overnight, and even when she returned him, she warned Ayren to be careful, as it was still feeling weak. He was still in shock as he remembered Prof. Oak's words: _Magikarp is virtually useless as a trainable Pokémon, but it isn't COMPLETELY useless. As Magikarp grows, I think you'll see what I mean. I think you may be surprised._ He had no idea Magikarp, now Gyarados, had that kind of power. Misty, on the other hand, who knew Gyarados' power, couldn't believe that this particular Gyarados had displayed so much when it was still very weak. She straightened his posture, however, and walked over to Danny.

"Danny, you displayed a wonderful ability to catch on to danger, not just around you, but around your Pokemon. You showed wonderful attention to your Pokemon's safety, and for such a quality, I am pleased to award you a Cascade Badge." She opened her hand and gave him the teardrop-shaped badge. Then she turned to Ayren. "Ayren, I noticed you were watching me during the performance. I was able to feel an air of strength and determination from you. You showed me that in our Pokemon battle, as well. You have amazing potential as a trainer, especially a Gyarados trainer. I am more than honored to let your wear the symbol of your victory at our Gym. You've earned this Cascade Badge. Wear it with pride." She handed it to Ayren, and he held it up, admiring the sunlight that reflected off of it for a moment, and then he looked at Misty, tears brimming in his eyes. 

"Thank you very much," he replied. With that, he turned to Celeste and Danny. "Well, shall we be off to the next Gym?"

Danny grew a little uneasy. "Isn't there a way we can avoid that Gym for now?"

Celeste looked at him. "Is something wrong?"

Danny jumped. "N-no. I just…I don't want to go there right now." 

Ayren looked over at him. "We have to go to Vermillion. It's the only route that we can take, and the only Gym that's along that route. We don't have a choice."

Danny sighed. "I can't go into that Gym."

Celeste put a hand on his shoulder. "Let's just head there for now. When we get there, we can decide what to do then. That Gym is not the only thing that Vermillion has to offer. We could ride on a cruise ship, if that's okay?"

Danny nodded reluctantly. "Alright," he said quietly.

Ayren looked toward the horizon. "So it's Vermillion City, now. Let's hit the road, then." Walking away towards the south, they waved to Misty, Daisy, Lily, and Violet until the Gym was no longer in sight. The boys fastened their badges to their jackets and the trio continued towards Vermillion City.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 – Terror on the Train! A New Friend and a Surprise Attack **

Leaving Cerulean City, Celeste opened up her map, and pointed to what looked like a nearby location. "Hey, you guys!" she exclaimed. "The map says here that there's an underground path that goes straight to Vermillion City by passing under Saffron City. If possible, we could take the new train system they just built. We would get there a lot faster."

Danny thought about it for a minute. "Well, sure, I'm for it, but tickets are 200 PokeCoins," he observed, having taken the train ride to get to Cerulean City in the first place. "Do we have enough?"

"We'll be fine," Ayren replied. "Besides, I want to get to Vermillion as soon as possible!"

_I don't_, Danny thought to himself. _What's –he- going to say if he sees me again?_

"So it's settled; we'll take the train," Celeste stated. Heading down the path, they traveled until they found a small building that marked the entrance to the Underground Path.

Not far away, a young couple was rushing towards the same destination. The girl, of average height, turned as her blonde ponytail flapped around in the wind, and, looking back to her comrade, began to shout, "Come on! We're going to be in big trouble if we're late for this train! We were supposed to be there already!"

"Sorry!" the guy retorted playfully. "I want to make sure we've got everything we need! Does it hurt to be prepared in case something happens?"

Making their way to the Underground Path, the girl rushed up to the ticket window and purchased their tickets, and the young man soon came up behind her, smiling. "Great, we made it!" he breathed happily. 

"We're on a date," the girl told the ticket agent, who smiled politely in reply. "He's so romantic!" Grabbing her beau's hand, she presented her tickets to the conductor and together, they boarded the train.

"Don't they make a cute couple?" Celeste mused as they approached the ticket counter. "I wish I had a boyfriend like that, who'd take me on a train ride for our date!" Turning to the agent, she asked for three tickets and handed over the 600 PokeCoins. Waving the tickets in the air at Ayren and Danny, she continued, "Hey you guys! I got the tickets; are you ready to go?"

Ayren, in the middle of a battle, called back over his shoulder. "Yeah, no problem! I'll be there in a sec!" He turned to the trainer he was facing. "Sorry, man! I've got to go! Your Mudkip is pretty awesome!"

The trainer, a young man with violet hair, nodded as he recalled his Pokemon. "Your Totodile is pretty good, too! It's great to see another Water Pokemon enthusiast that isn't from Cerulean! Anyway, have a good trip!" He turned and walked away into the crowd. 

Ayren called Totodile back into its PokeBall and ran over to Danny and Celeste. "Sorry about that!" he smiled. "I got bored waiting for the train, so that guy took me up on a Pokemon battle. So, we're ready, I presume?"

"Yep," Celeste replied, waving the tickets. "I've got them right here." They turned towards the train, handed their tickets to the conductor, and boarded just as the final whistle blew.

The train system had been built alongside the Underground Path as a means to bridge the travel gap between Cerulean City and Vermillion City faster. On foot above the Path, travel took about a day. On the path itself, time was narrowed down to several hours, even on a bike. The new mode of transportation by train, however, resulted in a trip that took an hour and a half to travel. Health enthusiasts still preferred the footpath, but for many trainers and travelers, the train was a vast improvement.

Quickly finding their seats as the train began to groan into motion, Ayren noticed a young girl, maybe slightly older than himself, sitting in the seat next to his. She had aquamarine hair and eyes. She looked very distant as she looked out the window, and Ayren couldn't help but feel somewhat drawn to her. Clearing his throat, he politely asked, "Is this seat taken?"

The girl turned, shook her head, indicating that he could have the seat if he desired. "No, go ahead," she replied. "I'm not hard to get along with, and I don't bite."

"I'm Ayren," he replied, feeling the need to introduce himself. "I'm traveling to be a good Pokemon trainer."

"Your name sounds familiar," she replied, a confused look crossing her face. After thinking about it for a second, her face brightened with realization. "Wait a minute! Are you the same Ayren who just faced Misty at the Pokemon Gym in Cerulean City?"

Ayren blinked in surprise. How had she known that? "I'm sorry, how did you—"

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Sorry! Yeah, I guess it's a little weird for me to know such a thing, but the way you battled, I couldn't believe it! And when your Magikarp evolved… I mean, wow!" Setlling down a little, she quickly interjected. "You see, I work as a receptionist at the Gym. My name is Narissa, Nari for short. I've worked at the Gym for quite a while, and I was watching when you and that other kid went up against Misty. I have to compliment you, though! In all my time working there, I've never seen such a spectacular battle!" 

"Well, thanks!" Ayren said, swelling a little inside with pride. "I don't think it was just me, though. My friend Danny helped a lot in the battle, too!" Leaning across the aisle to tap Danny on the shoulder, he gestured over toward Nari. "Danny, I'd like you to meet someone. This is Nari; she works as a receptionist at the Pokemon Gym in Cerulean."

"It's nice to meet you!" Nari smiled and waved. Ayren turned back toward her and felt compelled to ask, "So how come you're traveling, Nari?"

Nari's face fell slightly. "Well, you know the mermaid show that the Gym has, right?" Ayren nodded. "Ever since I started working at the Gym, I've wanted to have a part on the program. I've talked to Misty and her sisters many times, but for some reason, they don't want other people participating. It seems they have a bit of a diva complex. I got discouraged and decided to travel on an indefinite leave of absence so that I could discover myself again." She face turned into one of slight bitterness. "But I don't understand why they're being so…. catty about it."

Ayren cocked his head. "Misty's like that too? I mean, I got that sort of vibe from her sisters, but her?"

Nari shook her head. "Misty is a bit different, actually. She is a bit of a tomboy, but she isn't so much when her sisters ask her for a favor. So when they asked her to, she came back to Cerulean to be in the show. However, I've known Misty for a while. As much as she likes doing the show, she wants to do more in the way of training her Water Pokemon."

"I see," Ayren observed. "Since the show takes up so much of her time, what with preparation and practice, she doesn't have much time to do it."

"However, she won't say 'no' to her sisters when they throw her a bone, so she's doing this. Since they're not looking for an immediate replacement, they've no room for people to come in to do the show. So I signed up to be a receptionist, in hopes of Misty wanting to move on from the part and continue the training she wants to do." She smiled at Ayren. "I guess you can tell, the part I want in the show is the part of the Misty Mermaid." Her face fell again. "However, I suppose it's time for one to move on, eventually. So here I am."

"So what Pokemon do you have?"

"Only this one," Nari replied, holding up a PokeBall. "My Marrill. He's a good Pokemon, but I haven't battled in so long since I got the job at the Gym, I wonder if he'll do okay. I figure I'd train near Vermillion City, what with the type disadvantage and such, just to get back into the flow of things."

"So you're going to challenge the Gym Leader there?"

Nari laughed a little and shook her head. "Goodness, no! I'm afraid that the Gym Challenge isn't in my tastes. However, I –am- interesting in traveling, seeing the sights, you know? So I decided to start off from Vermillion City and see where I go from there." 

"That's very touching," a voice chimed in from behind Ayren. Spinning, he came face-to-face with the blonde girl and her boyfriend who had boarded the train before. She had a smug smile on her face, as if she had to put in her two cents. "So you're basically abandoning your dream to try and form a new one? That's pretty bad, I have to say. Only a quitter would do such a thing."

Nari's face fell again, and Ayren glared at the blonde. "Excuse me?! How can you say such a thing?"

"I just did," the blonde retorted. "Anyways, what could this girl hope to accomplish by doing what she's doing? She's only avoiding the problem."

"I don't think this is any of your business," Ayren shot back. 

"What did you say?!" the blonde growled, aggravated. At that moment the conductor came up behind them and tried to stand between them. "Pardon me, miss," he began. "Is something wrong here? Please don't make a scene and trouble the other passengers."

"Oh, but you don't understand, sir," the boyfriend cut in. "We live for trouble."

"Actually, we create trouble," the blonde smiled.

"Then you're just going to have to come with me," the conductor replied sternly. "There's no trouble to be had here."

"I quite disagree," the girl said. "You have no idea who you're messing with, do you?" Nodding to the guy, she turned back to the conductor as her boyfriend stood, and they both removed their costumes in a quick flash, revealing their identities to be none other than Amethyst and Eric!

"You guys again?!" Ayren exclaimed. Celeste and Danny, turning their heads quickly, leapt to their feet, hands on their PokeBalls. "What are you doing here?!" Celeste glared.

Amethyst smiled as she knocked out the conductor with a karate chop, turned to the people sitting further back in the car, and grinned at Ayren. Several people throughout the car stood, removing their disguises. "Meet our new members, little boy," she cackled. "This time, we've got a plan that's foolproof. Now," she announced, moving into the aisle. "Anyone who wants to get to Vermillion City safely had better hand over their Pokemon, or the train ride will come to a grisly end!" As if on cue, the cars jumped and the whirring of the engine began to intensify. Looking out the window, Nari exclaimed, "The train! It's going faster!"

"What are you trying to do?!" Danny shouted. "We'll crash at this rate!"

"That's the plan," Amethyst smiled darkly. "Now quit stalling. Either you give up your Pokemon or we –will- make this train crash!" 

Celeste looked over at Ayren. "We can't let them do this!"

"I agree," Ayren replied. "We've no choice; we've got to battle. Danny! Get up front and try to slow the train down!"

"Got it!" Danny replied as she shot out of the room like a bolt. 

Glaring at the Chaotics dispersed throughout the car, Ayren began to strategize quickly. Reaching into his pocket, he threw out a PokeBall and shouted, "Go for it, Totodile!" Celeste did the same, calling forth Absol. Together the two Pokemon glared at the Chaotics.

Eric smiled as he grabbed a PokeBall. "Be reasonable, kid. You really think fighting us is going to save everyone here?"

"It's better to try and fail, than not to try at all," Ayren shot back. 

"Suit yourself," Amethyst replied. She smiled at Eric as they both threw their PokeBalls. Out popped Machop and Bagon. "Let's do this!" 

Suddenly, a young man wearing the Chaotics' uniform ran in from the front. "Lady Amethyst, we have trouble!"

Amethyst raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

The young man, whom Ayren now recognized as the man who had battled him earlier, walked over to Amethyst and whispered in her ear. A moment later, her eyes went wide, and she exclaimed, "Are you kidding me?!" Running over to a door leading off the train, she pried it open and announced, "Chaotics, change of plans! We're getting off the train! Come on!" With that, she jumped off the train. As she did so, a black parachute popped out from behind her and she landed safely on the tunnel floor. The rest of the Chaotics followed suit. Eric recalled Machop and grabbed Bagon, headed for the door, dropped a flash bomb, and jumped off. The bomb exploded, leaving a cloud of smoke to fill the car. A few seconds later, the smoke cleared, thanks to a random trainer who called his Pidgey to clear the smoke.

Ayren recalled Totodile, confused. "That was weird," he observed. "Why did they leave so suddenly?"

Celeste did the same with Absol. "More importantly, why aren't we slowing down?"

Nari's eyes went wide as she came to the realization. "We need to get to the front!" She jumped up and began to run towards the front of the train. Celeste and Ayren followed. When they got to the engine car, they saw Danny straining over the controls. Ayren ran over, trying to help Danny slow the train down. "What happened?!" he yelled. 

"That guy…" Danny grunted. "He used a Thunder attack to jam the controls." Looking over at Ayren with a pleading look in his eyes, he replied, "We're in trouble here, man. Serious trouble." 

"LOOK OUT!" Nari cried as she looked out the front window. Both boys looked forward in horror as they saw Vermillion Station…and the end of the line… fast approaching. Danny grabbed the horn and pulled hard, hoping to warn people of the danger. It worked. People at the station saw the train coming in fast and cleared out. The train barreled through the station, hitting the bumper at the end of the line. Cars began to collide everywhere as a great crash ensued. Moments later, the noise died down as the now-wrecked train settled to a stop. Fires were everywhere. And in the front car, four unconscious young people lay, motionless, as the electricity on the train short-circuited and died.

In the Next Chapter:

-Requested by minnow: A cameo from a purple tree!

-Rescue crews have a hard time trying to get down to the wreckage because of a tunnel collapse.

-Our heroes have a hard time trying to escape!

That's it for now. Keep watching for more!


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 – Aftermath! New Powers Emerge, Peril Persists!

Autumn had begun over the region of Kanto, dancing the summer heat away, and causing the leaves to turn different colors. Some were red, some were orange, and some were yellow. In particular, one trees' leaves had turned so red that they actually looked purple to the human eye. Suddenly, a sharp wind came and blew a couple of the purple leaves away. The flurry of leaves danced into the air, past a small knoll before settling down on a road. Moments later, however, a speeding truck whisked the leaves into the air as its sirens wailed, heading to a site which had some time before been used as the exit to the Underground Path, where several police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances had gathered, doors open, sirens wailing. Several police officers and firefighters crawled over the scene with hoses, axes, and other rescue equipment. A female officer with blue hair ran over to one of the cars, grabbed the speaker to the radio, and shouted, "We'll need more backup! The tunnels are caving in and everyone on that train will be trapped if we don't hurry up!"

Allowing the dispatcher to respond, Officer Jenny sat in the car, looking at the scene, and putting a hand to her forehead in exasperation. "I can't believe this. I hope everyone in that train is okay…"

The three-car train had jumped the rails at the end of the line, taken a turn to the right, and crashed into a tunnel wall. The rear car had detached and was in clear sight of the station steps. Survivors were climbing out of the car, and hurriedly heading for the exit, where rescue teams were waiting to treat them. The middle car was not quite as lucky. Still attached to the engine car, it had turned on its side and pinned the engine to the tunnel wall. The crash had caused a cave-in that covered the back half of the car, so exit from the car was limited. Survivors were removing themselves from the wreckage, but not as easily as the rear car's passengers. The engine car had crashed into the tunnel wall and had broken through, leading to another tunnel. The rear entrance of the engine car allowed access to the station, and the second car was in a position that allowed just enough room for one to squeeze through. The front entrance was blocked on the left; however, on the right, the entrance led to the new tunnel that had appeared on the other side of the wall. Inside the engine car, four unconscious bodies began to stir as the train's lights went dim.

Ayren came to, sitting up and looking around. The car was dark, but he could see somewhat well. Getting up, he noticed Danny waking up nearby. "Hey," he said as he carefully shook Danny's shoulder. "You okay, man?"

"Yeah," Danny mumbled, making sure everything was still in place. "I don't think anything's broken." He crawled to his feet, with slight difficulty. Looking back in the car, he saw Celeste and Nari sitting up. Celeste was holding her head. She had hit it against a chair in the collision and had been knocked unconscious. Nari had somehow managed to get into a seat and buckle up before the force of the crash knocked her out. She unbuckled herself, hands trembling the entire time. Moving over to Celeste, she asked if Celeste was okay.

"I think so," Celeste replied. "I just got a little bonk in the head. It's nothing big."

"You're bleeding," Nari observed. It was true; a small trickle of blood led down Celeste's face. Celeste wiped it away with her hand, pulled out a band-aid, and placed it upon the wound. Nari chuckled. "Prepared for anything, eh?"

"You could say that," Celeste replied. She pushed herself to stand up and surveyed the scene. Looking out the windows, she observed. "Well, it seems like we may not be in much trouble. There's the station right there. We could leave through the back and get treated. I'm sure they have rescue crews waiting to help us out."

"Good idea," Danny replied. "I don't like the thought of staying here right now. He began to walk quickly towards the back door, opening it and looking around. "Let's go," he stated afterwards. "We're getting out of here."

At that moment, Celeste gasped, rushed over to Danny, and pulled him back in the car, away from the door. "Look out!" Suddenly, a rumble occurred, and rocks and dirt began to tumble quickly into the open door, leaving only a pile where Danny had stood moments before. It was deep enough to have buried Danny alive. Danny looked back at Celeste, wide-eyed.

"T-Thanks," he managed to say. "H-How did you know that was gonna happen?"

Celeste blinked for a moment, as if she were confused, herself. In all honesty, she didn't quite know how she knew. She had only seen Danny enveloped in dirt, and acted upon the thought. Was it a vision? A fore gleam of something?

"We can dwell on it later," Ayren replied. "Now we've no choice but to leave the car through the front. We'll have to find a way around." He checked around the car for anyone else that may have been in the car. Nobody was around. It seemed the driver of the train had moved to another car during the takeover. Ayren looked outside the car as the survivors from the third car continued to move toward the exit. Crews had begun to move in from the exit and were trying to dig out the second car, which had been almost fully submerged from the latest cave-in. Sighing, he observed, "We should wait here for the crews to help us, but we don't have much air here between the four of us… and this other tunnel may not have been used for a long time. The air could be stagnant. It can't be helped, I suppose." He turned to the others. Are we ready?" The others nodded, and the party departed from the car through the front entrance.

The tunnel was oddly lighted, not only by the light from the adjoining tunnel, but also from a natural light source located within it. Ayren could make out the walls clearly. He noticed the cave looked somewhat clean. No cobwebs clung to the walls; nothing that indicated that the cave was ancient. It seemed quite the opposite, actually; Ayren could make out footsteps on the floor of the cave that, though they were not fresh, he knew that they belonged to a human.

"It doesn't look like we're going to be in any immediate danger in this cave," Nari observed, confirming Ayren's thoughts.

"Well," Danny suggested. "We should follow it, I suppose. One end or the other is going to lead us somewhere, so we shouldn't have a problem getting out."

"I agree," Ayren replied. The group began to walk as they followed the tunnel. At that moment, however, a blast blew out from the wall ahead of them. Throwing up his arms to shield himself from flying debris, Ayren waited for the dust to settle a little. When he finally put his arms down, he was shocked to see Eric and Amethyst walking out from the holle in the wall. "You!" he roared angrily.

The Chaotics turned their heads in reply and smiled cruelly. "Well, well," Amethyst remarked. "What have we here? It's you again, and barely scratched from that train wreck? What a shame to have your lives spared in such a way."

"It's your fault for making that train speed up in the first place!" Celeste retorted. "Were you trying to kill us?"

"Of course," Eric replied. "It's how we're determined to achieve our goal of ruling the world. A little bit of chaos can be used as a motivating force to get others to submit to our will."

"You're out of your mind!" Ayren exclaimed.

"And you're out of your league, little boy." Amethyst shot back. "Since the job on the train didn't kill you, I think it's time we take matters into our hands personally." She pulled out her PokeBall and threw it, releasing Bagon, who charged at the group of four. "Bagon, Hit 'em hard, and hit 'em good!"

Bagon roared, as much as his lungs could carry the sound, and charged faster towards Ayren. Ayren saw the Pokemon coming and dodged out of the way. The Pokemon, going to fast to stop in time, crashed into a cave wall. The cave began to shudder, threatening to collapse. Amethyst recalled Bagon and she and Eric took off, laughing as they taunted, "Better run, kiddies! You wouldn't want to be buried alive!"

The cave shook a little more as clumps of dirt began to fall. Ayren, Celeste, Danny, and Nari began to run until they were out of danger and the shaking quelled. Danny sat down against a wall, exhausted. "Are we safe now?"

"I think so," Celeste replied. "I can't believe they tried to kill us twice in one day."

"They're starting to get serious on us, too," Ayren breathed. "We got lucky the past couple times we met them. Still, we'd better watch out for them."

Danny started to say something, but suddenly jumped up, clutching his back. Letting out a small yelp, he turned to see a small Pokemon – or rather, the head of a Pokemon – moving down the side of the wall toward the floor. When the Pokemon reached the floor, it looked at the group and poked its head in and out of the ground in excitement. "Diglett!" it said simply.

"A Diglett!" Danny exclaimed. "If there's a Diglett in this cave… there's only one place we could be, then. This is Diglett's Cave!"

"Diglett's Cave?" Ayren repeated.

Danny nodded. "This cave connects Vermillion City to Pewter City. It's well-traveled by people who don't want to take the long way around. However, it's blocked by thick brush at Pewter's end, so people mainly use it to get from Vermillion to Pewter. By that time, their Pokemon learn a move called Cut so they can make their way through the brush." Danny looked around. "That's odd, though. Usually there are a lot of Diglett in this cave, and we've only come across one. I wonder why that is," he concluded, looking at the lone Diglett.

The Diglett poked its head in and out of the ground in frustration, and moved a little further down the cave, and looked back at the group.

"I think it wants us to follow it," Celeste replied. The group began to follow the Diglett down the corridors of the cave until they came to a large cavern. Looking around, they could tell that the light from the cave came from a large opening at the top of the cavern. The next thing they saw was a thing of shock. Before them spread a colony consisting of Diglett and Dugtrio, and the Pokemon were all fighting each other violently!

"I get it," Ayren commented. "The commotion from the train crash must have thrown them into confusion, and they're fighting each other… probably because they think that one of the others caused the rumbling through the cave… upsetting the balance of nature here."

Nari stepped up. "We have to cool those heads down, or else the entire tunnel network is going to collapse." She pulled out a PokeBall from her jacket, and looked at Ayren. "Remember how I said I watched your battle? As I recall, you had a Totodile, correct?"

Ayren nodded. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out Totodile's PokeBall and threw it. "Go, Totodile!" Totodile appeared and looked at Ayren, awaiting orders.

Nari threw her PokeBall as well. "Okay, cutie, we're onstage!" The PokeBall opened and released a cute little blue Pokemon with white spots. The Pokemon had no arms, but the tail was big enough to compensate for any lack of limb.

"Is that an Azurill?" Celeste asked.

"That it is!" Nari replied. She turned to Ayren. "Ready?" Ayren nodded in reply, and both trainers shouted to their Pokemon, "Maximum Water Gun, now!" Both Pokemon opened their mouths and let the water flow toward the Diglett and Dugtrio. When all was said and done, the fighting had quelled, and the mass of ground Pokemon blinked in wonderment, no longer confused.

"We did it!" Ayren cried, pumping a fist in the air. The victory celebration was cut short, however. A terrified scream filled the air, and the group looked across the cavern to another opening, where Amethyst stood, her eyes wide in fear.

"DIGLETT?!" she screamed. "This cave houses a colony of Diglett and Dugtrio?! I can't STAND those little rat-like Pokemon!" She took a step back and reached into her pocket in an almost-manic manner. "That's fine. We'll just take care of this little problem right now!" Pulling her hand out of her pocket, she pulled out a PokeBall-sized bomb!

"You're going to cave this place in?!" Danny exclaimed.

"Better believe it!" Amethyst gasped as she lit the bomb. Just as she was about to throw it, however, the Diglett and Dugtrio massed together and dug underground. A huge rumble filled the area, so much so that everyone was thrown off their feet. Ayren took the opportunity to instruct Totodile to extinguish the bomb. Amethyst and Eric was thrown backwards into the tunnel from which they appeared and, as Ayren and the others looked on, dirt and rocks fell from the walls of the cavern. The cave-in blocked the entrance to the chamber, leaving the Chaotics standing in bewilderment on the other side.

"Amethyst!" Eric called. "We need to get out of here, I don't think we've got a chance here!"

Amethyst growled. "As long as those rats don't try to follow me, then I'm good." She turned to Eric. "Fine, we'll have to exit by Pewter City and take the long way back around."

Back in the cavern, the rumbling had subsided and the Diglett and Dugtrio had begun to poke their heads back out from underground. Celeste stood up and looked over at the newly-formed collapse where the entrance had been, her eyes wide in surprise. "Wow," she managed to say. "What just happened?!"

"You didn't know?" Nari replied. "Diglett and Dugtrio both have the power to cause earthquakes and control where they have their effect." She got to her feet and brushed herself off. "It's probably how they built this entire tunnel system."

"That's amazing," Danny breathed.

The Diglett that led them to the cavern appeared before them once again. Ayren looked down at it in bewilderment. "You guys are amazing… to have done all of this."

The Diglett seemed to smile. It moved past the group, back into the tunnel, and looked back. Understanding that the Diglett wanted them to follow it again, the group picked up their stuff, recalled any Pokemon that had been left out, and followed it through the tunnels and caverns to an opening of light. Ayren poked his head out and saw a city nearby. On the north end of the city, he saw lights from the fire engines, where they had managed to break through the surface of ground safely to rescue any more passengers who had been trapped or injured on the wrecked train. Smiling as he watched a crane pull up one of the cars, Ayren knew that they had finally reached Vermillion City. A nearby purple tree fluttered in the wind, as if to say, "Welcome." Looking back at his friends, who had emerged from the cave, he waved them on and together, they took off towards Vermillion City, looking forward to what lay in store for them.


End file.
